Department for Transport

Cars: Sales

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their current planned date to stop the sale of new petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid cars; and whether they intend to bring that date forward.

baroness vere of norbiton: On 4 February, the Prime Minister announced that the Government is consulting on bringing forward an end to the sale of new petrol, diesel and hybrid cars and vans from 2040 to 2035, or earlier if a faster transition appears feasible. This follows our manifesto commitment and reflects the independent Committee on Climate Change (CCC) advice that the phase out date should be 2035 or ideally 2030, and that only battery electric or other low-carbon alternative vehicles, such as hydrogen powered vehicles, should be permitted to be sold after this point.

Official Cars

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of the central government car fleet is currently (1) electric powered, or (2) hybrid; and by what date they expect to have phased out all petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid vehicles in that fleet.

baroness vere of norbiton: Currently battery electric vehicles and plug in hybrid vehicles make up 2.25% of the central government car fleet. A breakdown of numbers between electric powered and plug-in hybrid cars is not available at this time. Budget 2017 included a commitment to electrify 25% of cars in central Government department fleets by 2022, and as part of the Road to Zero Strategy published in July 2018, the Government announced a further commitment to make 100% of the central Government car fleet ultra low emission (i.e. zero emission or plug in hybrid) by 2030. Regarding Ministerial cars provided by the Government Car Service (GCS), with the support of the Department, the Government Car Service is replacing its fleet with ultra low emission vehicles as cars become due for replacement. Currently, 48% of the GCS fleet is either battery electric, petrol electric hybrid or hydrogen electric (compared to only 17% in 2016), and they are actively looking at options to accelerate this transition.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many new charge points for electricvehicles have been introduced in the UK in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many are to be introduced in each of the next three years.

baroness vere of norbiton: Figures for new chargepoints for electric vehicles that have been introduced in the UK in each of the last three years are available in the table below:  Pre-2017201720182019Public Devices5039207330606333Domestic Devices (EVHS/DRS funded)68132178702085819989 We will invest £1 billion in charging infrastructure, ensuring that everyone is within 30 miles of a rapid charging station. Our jointly funded £400 million Chargepoint Infrastructure Investment Fund’s first investment round, worth a total of £70 million, will ensure the delivery of a further 3,000 rapid charging devices by 2024, more than doubling the current number of rapid charging devices. Last year work commenced to determine a vision for a core rapid charger network on England’s Strategic Road Network and we aim to report on this in Spring 2020.

East Midlands Rail Franchise

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their reasons for splitting the trains on the Norwich to Liverpool rail service at Nottingham; what assessment they have made of the impact of this arrangement on passenger numbers on this service; and what consultation they undertook with passenger groups prior to this change.

baroness vere of norbiton: The reasons for the in-principle decision to split this service were explained in the East Midlands Franchising Stakeholder Briefing Document published in June 2018. The benefits principally arise from being able to recognise the completely different characteristics and patronage levels of the services either side of Nottingham (87% of journeys are now within the Liverpool – Nottingham section) and then being able to develop the service offer accordingly, rather than simply perpetuating the linking of two separate services undertaken in the 1980s when the railway and its markets were very different.No quantified assessment of the impact on passenger numbers has been made but will form part of the final implementation decision. However, we expect that the improved focus on the two different markets either side of Nottingham, together with improved reliability that splitting should bring, to grow passenger numbers overall.This change was consulted on as part of the East Midlands re-franchising process in July – August 2017 which received 2,300 responses and featured several public meetings including in Liverpool, Nottingham and Norwich.

East Midlands Rail Franchise

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether splitting the trains on the Norwich to Liverpool rail service at Nottingham has improved or reduced the reliability of service on that line.

baroness vere of norbiton: The splitting of these trains has not yet taken place, so such an assessment is not possible. It is currently planned to take place from December 2021.

East Midlands Rail Franchise

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the number of train crew that are required as a result of splitting the trains on the Norwich to Liverpool rail service at Nottingham.

baroness vere of norbiton: This will be assessed as part of the final implementation decision. We expect the overall numbers to be broadly similar.

Railways: Midlands and North of England

baroness mcdonagh: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether an independent individual, or individuals, will be engaged to prepare the Integrated Rail Plan for the Midlands and the north.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) will be led by Government and will be informed by independent assessments from the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) and the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA). The Integrated Rail Plan will be developed with input from Northern and Midlands leaders.

Railways: Midlands and North of England

baroness mcdonagh: To ask Her Majesty's Government how local and regional authorities will be consulted in the development of the Integrated Rail Plan for the Midlands and the north.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands is being led by the Government, with inputs from the National Infrastructure Commission and Infrastructure Projects Authority. The Government will engage on a formal basis with Northern and Midlands leaders.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Carbon Emissions

lord fink: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to meet their commitment to be carbon neutral by 2050.

lord callanan: The Government is committed to delivering on our world-leading target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions from across the UK economy by 2050. The Prime Minister has announced that 2020 will be a Year of Climate Action. In the run-up to the COP26 summit, we will be bringing forward ambitious plans across key sectors of the economy to meet our carbon budgets and net zero – including an Energy White Paper, Transport Decarbonisation Plan and Heat Roadmap. This will build on the £2 billion we have announced since setting the target and the commitments in our manifesto – from investing £9.2 billion in the energy efficiency of our buildings, to £800 million to deploy the first carbon capture and storage cluster in the UK, to planting an additional 75,000 acres of trees a year by the end of the parliament.The UK’s success in the global economy will be rooted in innovation and cutting-edge technology. By driving technological change, we will create the high quality, highly paid jobs of the future, the Budget sets out plans to increase public R&D investment to £22 billion per year by 2024-25. The Government will invest that money in the people, ideas and industries that will cement the UK’s world-leading position in science and technologies ranging from nuclear fusion to electric vehicles and life sciences.

Employment: Ethnic Groups

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report byCarnegie UK Trust Race Inequality in the Workforce, published in February 2020, what assessment they have made of the finding that BAME individuals are more likely to have less stable working lives than their white peers.

lord callanan: For BAME individuals in the UK, employment rates are at a near record high at 66.8%, and the unemployment rate is at its lowest level since 1974 at 5.8%. However, we know that employment rates are still lower than for White individuals and that BAME individuals are more likely to have less stable working patterns. The Government is bringing forward the Employment Bill, legislating for a wide range of reforms to employment law that will improve working conditions in the UK, but particularly for the most vulnerable workers.

Business: Billing

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Callanan on 26 February (HL1665), what proportion of businesses who have signed up to thePrompt Payment Code havetheir (1) procurement and purchasing policy, (2) 'how to get paid' details, and (3) responsible board director, listed on thePrompt Payment Code website.

lord callanan: Data provided by the Chartered Institute of Credit Management states that (1) 6% of Code signatories (153 of 2,472) have provided their procurement and purchasing policy; (2) 49% (1,205 of 2,472) have provided their ‘how to get paid’ details; and 54% (1,329 of 2,472) have provided their responsible board director information for inclusion on the Prompt Payment Code website.

British Business Bank

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Callanan on 26 February (HL1607), whether the British Business Bank's aggregate loan experience and losses in the event of default of loans as a result of loans made through peer-to-peer platforms differs from the aggregate experience of loans made by other channels to SME borrowers.

lord callanan: I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave him on 9 March to Question HL1776: https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Lords/2020-02-24/HL1776/.

Energy: Housing

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to meet the energy efficiency targets for housing set out in their Clean Growth Strategy, published in October 2017.

lord callanan: The Clean Growth Strategy set out the aspiration that as many homes as possible will be EPC Band C by 2035 where practical, cost-effective and affordable. The current iteration of the Energy Company Obligation (ECO3) will upgrade around a million homes for low income and vulnerable households by March 2022. ECO3 and its successor will drive £6 billion of investment between 2018 and 2028 to support energy efficiency improvements. Furthermore, the Manifesto committed to an additional £6.3 billion of public investment to upgrade the energy performance of fuel poor homes and social housing. In April 2018, we introduced for the first time a minimum energy efficiency standard of EPC Band E for private rented sector properties, with all private rented properties required to meet, or exceed, this standard by 1 April 2020. We will be consulting in due course on options to increase this minimum standard to EPC Band C. Last year, we launched Simple Energy Advice, a new digital and phoneline service to provide homeowners with impartial and tailored advice on how to cut their energy bills and make their homes greener, as well as information on any available financial support. We also launched two energy efficiency innovation competitions in summer 2019, both aimed at investigating ways to make energy efficiency cheaper and more accessible for householders. The Whole House Retrofit cost reduction trajectory competition made available £9.4 million of funding for projects which demonstrate the potential to reduce costs for Whole House Retrofit. The Green Home Finance Innovation Fund is making nearly £2 million of funding available for a series of projects to develop innovative green mortgage and other lending products, to improve householder access to green finance to support energy efficiency retrofit. We have also committed to consult later this year on requirements for lenders to support homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Cameroon: Armed Conflict

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the (1) letter to the Prime Minister from the President of the African Bar Association, Hannibal Uwaifo, of 10 January regarding the Anglophone Cameroon crisis, and(2) implications for peace and stability in the Cameroon of the departure of Jack Andrew Pendelton, the UN OCHA representative.

baroness sugg: We acknowledge the views of the President of the African Bar Association regarding the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon, as set out in his letter to the Prime Minister. Officials at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have responded to him. The British Government remains deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation in the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions of Cameroon, and we welcome the ongoing work of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in coordinating the humanitarian response to this crisis. The UK urges the Government of Cameroon to engage with all international partners in this process.

Nigeria: Christianity

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by the government of Nigeria's Minister of Information and Culture on 27 February that members of Boko Haram and Islamic State West African Province are "targeting Christians and Christian villages" and "now have a deliberate policy of attacking Christians".

baroness sugg: We are appalled by, and have condemned publicly, recent attacks by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa (ISWA), including those on Christian communities. The groups' barbaric actions have a devastating effect on communities of all faiths. Boko Haram and ISWA claim to represent Islam, but their interpretation of Islam could not be further from the spirit of the religion.We echo the views of the Minister of Information and Culture that the targeting of Christians by the terrorist groups is intended to promote religious division and further conflict. The UK is fully committed to supporting Nigeria to combat extremism and to protect the right to religious freedom. We are providing a comprehensive package of support, including £300 million of humanitarian aid to communities in North East Nigeria over five years (2018-2022).

Nigeria: Christianity

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of The Bishop of Truro's Independent Review for the Foreign Secretary of Foreign and Commonwealth Office Support for Persecuted Christians, published on 16 July 2019, which found that "religion plays a key part" in targeted violence by Fulani militia against Christian communities in Nigeria; whether they intend to publish a response to that report; and if so, when.

baroness sugg: The UK Government has accepted the recommendations of the Bishop of Truro's report and is working on implementing them. On Nigeria, the report considered intercommunal violence in the Middle Belt and terrorism in the North East. Given religion forms a fundamental part of the identity of most Nigerians, our assessment is that religion inevitably plays a part in incidences of violence affecting all faith communities, including some which involve Fulani herdsmen. As the report highlights, other factors also play a role. As part of HMG's response to issues flagged by the report, the FCO and Wilton Park co-hosted a conference on 'Fostering Social Cohesion in Nigeria' in February, exploring the complex causes of conflict and solutions to help ease tensions and reduce violence. Discussion also highlighted the importance of countering inaccurate narratives misrepresenting disparate incidents across multiple states as a homogenous religious conflict, and of inflammatory terminology as 'militia' to describe diverse ethnic groups. A full report from the event will issue this month.

Turks and Caicos Islands: Robbery

baroness goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps are being taken to combat the reported increase in serious robberies against individuals in the Turks and Caicos Islands referred to in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s travel advice for that territory.

baroness goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the crime detection rate in the Turks and Caicos Islands; and on what basis the Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice for the Turks and Caicos Islands states that levels of crime in that territory are relatively low.

baroness sugg: Crime rates in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) are monitored closely by the Royal TCI Police Force. In the last 5 years the overall crime rates have fallen but challenges remain in tackling serious crime including homicides and serious robberies across TCI. Most crime tends to be opportunistic burglary and theft, although an increase in more serious robberies against individuals has been reported, alongside an increase in homicide rates. We advise all travellers to consult with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) travel advice on TCI, and to make their own decisions on whether to travel. Travel advice is kept under constant review to ensure it reflects our assessment of the risk to British nationals. Our travel advice for TCI was last updated on 12 March and can be found on GOV.UK. Details on how the FCO assesses and categorises risk in foreign travel advice can also be found on GOV.UK

Turks and Caicos Islands: Homicide

baroness goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the homicide rate, and (2) the sanction detection rate for homicide cases, in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

baroness goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the sanction detection rate for homicide cases in the Turks and Caicos Islands compared to countries with similar homicide rates.

baroness goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of the resources tackling crime in the Turks and Caicos Islands; and of the case for specialist UK police officers to be deployed to help the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force.

baroness sugg: The Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) are committed to tackling crime across its islands, with UK Government support. In response to recent increases in violent crime, overall policing numbers are set to increase by 20 per cent by March 2021, alongside a US$2 million increase to TCI's Policing staffing budget in the next financial year. It is important that any approach addresses the specific challenges that TCI is facing. As part of this approach, the UK Government is working with the Government of TCI to increase their capability to improve sanction detection rates, including for homicides, for example by funding specialist support to the Royal TCI Police Force for specific investigations. Discussions with the Government of TCI on what further support the UK might provide to help the Royal TCI Police Force are ongoing and a range of options are being considered. TCI faces a unique set of challenges and the UK played an instrumental role in supporting development of a new National Security Strategy in TCI to ensure a holistic approach to tackling them.

Turks and Caicos Islands: Crime

baroness goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of crime rates in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and in particular on Providenciales.

baroness sugg: Crime rates in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) are monitored closely by the Royal TCI Police Force. In the last five years, the overall crime rates have fallen, however challenges remain in tackling serious crime including homicides and serious robberies across TCI. The level of crime on Providenciales is higher than on the other islands where incidences of serious crime are less frequent. Most crime tends to be opportunistic burglary and theft, although an increase in more serious robberies against individuals has been reported, alongside an increase in homicide rates.

Turkey: Refugees

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that refugees are being helped to leave Turkey and then denied entry to Greece at the land border; what steps they will take to assist such refugees; and what discussions they have had with international organisations about this issue.

baroness sugg: We are aware of reports that migrants are being encouraged to leave Turkey and then denied entry to Greece at the land border with Turkey. The British Government remains committed to supporting Greece and Turkey's efforts to manage migration effectively and is working both bilaterally and with our international partners to this end. The Prime Minister discussed the matter with the Turkish President on 3 March, as did the Foreign Secretary on the same day with the Turkish Foreign Minister, and our Ambassador in Athens spoke with the Greek Foreign Minister, also on 3 March. We continue to urge dialogue to resolve the situation.

Syria: Armed Conflict

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help to secure an immediate ceasefire between all warring parties in Idlib province in Syria.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are actively pressing for an immediate and lasting ceasefire to the crisis in Idlib. The Foreign Secretary discussed Idlib with the US Secretary of State Pompeo on 1 March and travelled to Turkey on 3-4 March to support Turkish efforts to achieve a cessation of hostilities. We have repeatedly raised the issue at the UN Security Council and called for an emergency Council session to discuss the urgent situation in Idlib on 28 February. We have also made clear the urgent need for a ceasefire in our contacts with the Russian Government.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 24 February (HL1545), what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the killing of a Palestinian policeman on 6 February who was on duty insidea police station in Jenin.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK is very concerned at the high numbers of Palestinians killed by Israel Defense Forces in the West Bank and Gaza. We have raised this issue with the Israeli authorities, encouraging them to carry out transparent investigations into whether the use of live fire had been appropriate. We call on Israel to adhere to the principles of necessity and proportionality when defending its legitimate security interest.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they intend tomake to the government of Israel about reports that Israeli forces fired at a car containing Palestinian youths and wounded a 16 year old, because those forces believed that the car was being driven in a suspicious manner.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: While we have not made any representations on this specific incident, we are aware of these reports. The UK has repeatedly made clear to Israel our longstanding concerns about the manner in which the Israel Defense Forces operate in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including the use of live ammunition, encouraging them to carry out transparent investigations into whether the use of live fire had been appropriate.

Gaza: Poverty

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the situation in Gaza following reports that 5,000 factories have been shut due to the Israeli blockade and that 85per cent of those living in Gaza are now living below the poverty line.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK remains deeply concerned about the dire economic and humanitarian situation in Gaza. We continue to stress to the Israeli authorities the damage that their restrictions are doing to the living standards of ordinary Palestinians in Gaza. Ultimately, Gaza's immense challenges can only be resolved through a settlement of the conflict.

Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations theyhave madeto the government of Israel about reports that Israeli settlers have (1) intruded in, and (2) damaged,private land and property belonging to the Latin Patriarchate in Tayasir in the northern West Bank.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: While we have not made representations on this specific issue, we condemn all settler violations of private property rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We have also stressed the importance of Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations theyhave made to the government of Israel about reports that the Israel Defence Forces pushed concrete blocks at speed towards Palestinian protestors using a bulldozer through a Palestinian village.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: While we have not made representations on this specific issue, we have repeatedly made clear to Israel our longstanding concerns about the manner in which the Israel Defense Forces police non-violent protests, including the use of live ammunition. We did so most recently at the UN Security Council on 21 January. We call on Israel to adhere to the principles of necessity and proportionality when defending its legitimate security interest.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that 19 Palestinians have lost one or both eyes as a result of being fired at by Israeli forces.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: While we have not made representations on these reports, we have repeatedly made clear to the Israeli authorities our longstanding concerns about the manner in which the Israel Defense Forces police non-violent protests and the border areas, including the use of live ammunition. We encourage them to carry out transparent investigations into whether the use of live fire had been appropriate and call on Israel to adhere to the principles of necessity and proportionality when defending its legitimate security interest.

Israeli Settlements: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to thegovernment of Israel about reports that settler-only roads have been created in the West Bank.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: While we have not made representations on this specifically, we continue to oppose settlement expansion in the OPTs. Our policy is clear: settlements are illegal under international law. On 24 February, the Minister for the Middle East and North Africa condemned the advancement of 1,077 housing units in East Jerusalem, reiterating settlement construction undermines the viability of a future Palestinian State. On 28 February a Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson expressed concern over the advancement of 1,737 housing units in settlements across the West Bank. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have also raised our concerns about restrictions on freedom of movement in the West Bank with the Israeli authorities, most recently on 17 December 2019.

Israeli Settlements: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the protection of Palestinian property from Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We condemn any incidents of destruction of Palestinian property by settlers. We welcome the efforts of Israeli authorities to address settler attacks, and urge them to thoroughly investigate every instance to bring those responsible to justice and end the culture of impunity. We have also stressed the importance of Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv last raised the issue of settler violence with the Israeli authorities on 17 December 2019.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Health Services

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to establish centres for specialised ventilation care for people in stage 3 of COVID-19; and what assessment they have made of whethercurrent provision would be capable of meeting the needs of those affected by an epidemic.

lord bethell: Highly specialised beds will only be needed by a minority of affected patients. As the Chief Medical Officer has said, we are working through our clear action plan to make sure we can flex services to respond to extra demand. NHS England and NHS Improvement are working closely with providers across the country to support this.

Coronavirus: China

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) report by the World Health OrganizationCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report, published on 1 March, in particular the mortality rate from COVID-19 in Hubei province, and (2) the remarks by Brendan Wren, Professor of Vaccinology at the London School of Tropical Medicine that the difference in the mortality rate in Hubei province compared to other areas is a due to a higher viral load, or because the original source of COVID-19 in Wuhan may still be actively transmitting.

lord bethell: The Government is being advised by the Scientific Advisory Group For Emergencies, known as SAGE. SAGE and its sub groups have, and will continue to, monitor all relevant epidemiological literature, including the World Health Organization’s Situation Reports. Estimates of mortality rates in different regions vary, so it is right that we are considering this information in the round.

Mental Health Services: Standards

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the performance of the NHS in meeting the standard set in the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health that at least 25 per cent of Early Interventions in Psychosis Services should meet level three standards by 2018/19.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the performance of the East of England NHS in meeting the standard set in the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health that at least 25 per cent of Early Interventions in Psychosis Servicesshouldmeet level three standards by 2018/19.

lord bethell: Data on Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) services is included in the NHS Mental Health Dashboard, which brings together data from across mental health services to measure performance. The most recent Dashboard shows that 18% of EIP services nationally and 6% of services in the East of England region achieved level-3 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence concordance in 2018/19.NHS England and NHS Improvement’s East of England Regional Team is supporting these services to move towards a standalone model and is committed to achieving the NHS Long Term Plan goal of having 95% of services operating at level 3 by 2023/24.

Prescription Drugs

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many medicines are prescribed on the NHS which pre-date the NICE technology appraisal guidance process; and, what steps they are taking to mitigate the risk of such drugs being withheld from patients.

lord bethell: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) technology appraisal guidance process was introduced in 1999. We have interpreted this question as referring to individual medicines distinguished by their generic names. It should be noted that the number of medicines is not the same as the number of products. The figures given also differ from volumes of prescriptions or spending.Out of 2,538 medicines used in the National Health Service in 2018/19, including medicines prescribed by general practitioners and used in hospitals, 1,799 (71%) had a best estimate launch date in the United Kingdom pre-dating the NICE appraisal process.The NHS does not have unlimited resources and NHS commissioners have to make difficult decisions about commissioning care. In the absence of a positive technology appraisal or highly specialised technology recommendation by NICE, NHS commissioners should make funding decisions on individual treatments based on an assessment of the available evidence. This is reflected in the NHS Constitution as a right to expect local decisions on funding of other drugs and treatments to be made rationally following a proper consideration of the evidence.

NHS: Drugs

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to use any Brexit stockpiles in the event of increased supply chain issues caused by the recent outbreak of COVID-19.

lord bethell: Stockpiles of medical supplies built up in advance of European Union exit will be used as part of the Department’s response to the recent outbreak of COVID-19.As part of this, the Department has directed NHS Supply Chain to pause ramp-down activity of our centralised stock-build of medical devices and clinical consumables, built up in advance of EU exit. In addition, on 11 February 2020, the Department wrote to all suppliers of medicines and medical products in scope of our EU exit work asking those companies that have retained some or all their EU exit stockpiles to hold on to these stockpiles until further notice, as a precaution.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to (1) ban large scale events, and (2) encourage people to work from home, until Public Health England have identified the individuals who are potentially spreading COVID-19 within the UK.

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with NHS dentists about the possibility of a shortage of facemasks and the impact of any such shortage on patient waiting times.

lord bethell: The Government launched its COVID-19 action plan on 3 March.The fundamental objectives set out in the action plan are to deploy phased actions to Contain, Delay, and Mitigate any outbreak, using Research to inform policy development. In reference to the delay phase and the planned potential next steps the plan states below:“Action that would be considered could include population distancing strategies (such as school closures, encouraging greater home working, reducing the number of large scale gatherings) to slow the spread of the disease throughout the population, whilst ensuring the country’s ability to continue to run as normally as possible. The UK government education department’s planning assumptions include the possibility of having to close educational settings in order to reduce the spread of infection.”The COVID-19 action plan is attached.The United Kingdom is extremely well prepared for these types of outbreaks, we have central stockpiles of a range of medical products, including face masks, to mitigate supply problems and help ensure the uninterrupted supply to the National Health Service.We have well-established procedures to deal with supply problems, regardless of the cause, and work closely with industry, the NHS and others in the supply chain to help prevent shortages and to ensure that the risks to patients are minimised including any potential impact on patient waiting times.There have not been any specific discussions with dentists on this matter.



Coronavirus_action_plan
(PDF Document, 262.64 KB)

Coronavirus

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they are giving to people with suspected COVID-19 about how they should care for themselves during periods of self-quarantine.

lord bethell: The advice to people with suspected COVID-19 about how they should care for themselves during periods of self-quarantine focuses on keeping away from others, staying at home to stop the infection spreading, and avoiding public transport. The Government’s COVID-19 campaign posters are attached.Public Health England advice online on the GOV.UK website about COVID-19 is regularly updated as our understanding grows and the guidelines evolve.



Coronavirus_Poster
(PDF Document, 4.97 MB)




Advice_on_COVID_19_for_places_of_education
(PDF Document, 177.38 KB)

Coronavirus

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether staff at NHS 111 are given uniform advice scripts on how to respond to suspected COVID-19 cases.

lord bethell: NHS 111 call handlers work off algorithms rather than ‘scripts’. This enables the call handler to give proper advice that is tailored to the caller’s needs.A process for COVID-19 has been worked through between NHS 111 and Public Health England.

Coronavirus

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what further plans they have to give advice to the public on how to minimise the spread of COVID-19 and how to cope with periods of self-quarantine.

lord bethell: The advice to the public on how to minimise the spread of COVID-19 focuses on hand hygiene and the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ advice for coughs and sneezes. COVID-19 campaign posters are attached.Our new national communications campaign will set out the latest clinical advice and this can be found online by searching for Public Health England advice on the GOV.UK website. We can all continue to do our bit by continuing to wash our hands more often for 20 seconds or more and having plenty of tissues around.



Advice_on_COVID_19_for_places_of_education
(PDF Document, 177.38 KB)




Coronavirus_Poster
(PDF Document, 4.97 MB)

Coronavirus

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what resources they intend to allocate to deal with a COVID-19 pandemic in the UK.

lord bethell: We have made £20 million available to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness which will support work developing new vaccines for epidemics, including four new programmes to develop vaccines against the novel coronavirus.We have also launched a £20 million rapid response call to support research on the novel coronavirus.During the announcement for the 2020 Budget, the Chancellor further detailed how we will be allocating funds.The Chancellor has set out a £12 billion package of temporary, timely and targeted measures to support public services, individuals and businesses through the economic disruption caused by COVID-19.The Government continues to work closely with the Bank of England and international partners and announced a three point plan at the Budget.

Coronavirus

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the NHS has sufficient resources to manage a UK-wide pandemic.

lord bethell: The Government, the National Health Service and Public Health England are extremely well-prepared and used to managing infections. As with other cold and flu viruses, they are using tried and tested procedures to prevent further spread. We continue to work closely with the World Health Organization and the international community to ensure we are ready for all eventualities.The NHS has expert teams in every ambulance service and a number of specialist hospital units with highly trained staff and equipment ready to receive and care for patients with any highly infectious disease.We are working through our clear action plan. Like all our decisions, the plan is based on the expertise of world leading scientists. We will do the right thing at the right time, based on the best available science.

Coronavirus

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to manage a COVID-19 pandemic in the UK.

lord bethell: The United Kingdom is well prepared for disease outbreaks, having responded to a wide range of infectious disease outbreaks in the recent past, and having undertaken significant preparedness work for an influenza pandemic for well over a decade.Our plans have been regularly tested and updated locally and nationally to ensure they are fit for purpose. This experience provides the basis for an effective response to COVID-19, which can be tailored as more specific information emerges about the virus.These plans ensure the UK is equipped to deliver a co-ordinated multi-agency response to minimise wider societal impact that could arise from a significant outbreak. An effective response also requires the active participation of a well-informed public and all service providers.Publicly available advice recommends the best way for people to protect themselves from infections like coronavirus is to wash their hands frequently with soap and water or use a sanitiser gel, as well as always carrying tissues and using them to catch coughs and sneezes, then putting the tissue in a bin.We have a plan based on the expertise of world leading scientists. We are continuing to work closely with the World Health Organization and the international community as the outbreak develops to ensure we are ready for all eventualities.

Blood: Donors

lord lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy on recording biological sex, legal sex and gender identity when a person donates blood; and how any such policy recognises biological sex-related risks such as transfusion-related acute lung injury.

lord bethell: NHS Blood and Transplant, which is accountable to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is responsible for the provision of a reliable, safe and efficient supply of blood to hospitals in England.All donors complete an extensive donor health check questionnaire before each donation. The donations are then screened for infections before the blood is sent to hospitals.NHS Blood and Transplant respects and accepts the self-identified gender of the person presenting to give blood. Both the potential donor’s assigned sex at birth and their self-identifying gender are recorded. This information is then used to dictate how NHS Blood and Transplant uses any donated product in respect of biological sex-related risks – including transfusion-related acute lung injury.

Medical Records: Data Protection

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to review the legal framework governing the ownership of personal health data.

lord bethell: The Government is committed to the safe, secure and lawful sharing of health data for individual care, to support research to improve treatments and diagnosis and to improve planning and commissioning of health and care across the National Health Service. We are aware of current concerns regarding the complexity of the overlapping laws, codes and guidance relating to data that can be confusing and difficult to navigate and NHSX is committed to working with other organisations to simplify this.

Department for Education

Children in Care

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve the life chances of children taken into care.

baroness berridge: The government is committed to ensuring that all children taken into care have the best possible chances in life.We have given looked after children top priority in school admissions to ensure they have access to the very best schools and their education is supported through the expertise and leadership of local authority Virtual School Heads (VSHs). VSHs are directly accountable for the educational outcomes of looked-after children and receive pupil premium plus funding to work with schools to support the education of individual children and the cohort as a whole. Pupil premium plus funding is £2,300 per child in 2019/20 rising to £2,345 in 2020/21. In addition, in recognition of the importance of ensuring that the mental health and wellbeing needs of looked-after children are identified, we are investing over £1 million to pilot high quality mental health assessments for children entering care.The support does not stop when children leave care. Building on the measures already introduced through the cross-government care leaver strategy, in October 2019 we announced a further £19 million in 2020/21 to improve care leavers’ outcomes, including £10 million to expand Staying Put, so more care leavers can continue to live with their former foster carers until age 21 and £6 million to begin rolling out Staying Close, which provides extra support for young people leaving residential care. We are also providing £3 million to improve support for care leavers in further education.The announcement also set out plans to establish a cross-government ministerial board to drive improved support for care leavers and a target to secure 1,000 public sector internships for care leavers by 2022.The government also confirmed in February that it would carry out an independent review of the care system to make sure that all care placements and settings are providing children and young adults with the support they need so that they have the best possible chance to succeed in life.

Health Professions: Training

baroness finlay of llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received in relation to the proposal by the Office for Students to cut funding to universities providing pre-registration clinical training for physiotherapists and other student clinicians by 3 per cent.

baroness finlay of llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of a reduction in university funding on the expansion of physiotherapy training.

baroness berridge: No representations have been made to Her Majesty’s Government in relation to the proposal by the Office for Students (OfS) to make savings to teaching grant funding, including for some pre-registration clinical courses.The OfS consulted on their proposals, which include a proposal to make additional budget provision for providers in a small number of high-cost and high-priority areas, to reflect additional students on pre-registration courses in medicine, nursing, midwifery and allied health professions. Providers and other interested parties have therefore had an opportunity to make representations. The OfS will conclude the consultation in due course.

Special Educational Needs: Finance

lord lingfield: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that, where local authorities have decided to place a child's Education Health Care Plan at a particular school, that the school has sufficient funds to make the provisions specified.

baroness berridge: For a child with an education, health and care (EHC) plan, the local authority is responsible for securing the provision specified in that plan, including making arrangements for the child to attend any school named in the plan.A local authority is required to provide each mainstream (primary or secondary) school in its area with a budget that is sufficient for it to meet the additional costs of supporting all its pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, including those with EHC plans, with up to £6,000 per pupil, per annum. Where the costs of making the provision specified in an EHC plan exceed £6,000, the local authority responsible for securing the provision and placing the child in the school pays top-up funding to the school so that the school can make the necessary provision. This top-up funding comes from the local authority’s high needs budget. Nationally, high needs funding will increase by £780 million in the next financial year, up to £7.2 billion. This will be the largest year-on-year increase since the high needs funding block was created in 2013.Similarly, where a pupil with an EHC plan attends a special school, the local authority responsible for the plan provides top-up funding in respect of the child, to enable the school to make the provision specified in the plan. The top-up funding for a special school is intended to contribute to the costs that exceed the total amount of place funding the special school receives, at £10,000 per place.

Free School Meals

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many pupils took up free school meals in England and Wales in each year since 2015.

baroness berridge: The Department for Education publishes figures for the number of pupils taking a free school meal on the day of the January census in schools in England. The figures from 2014/15 to 2018/19 are shown in the table below. All infant pupils are eligible for free school meals (FSM) under the Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) policy. Meals delivered under the universal eligibility are presented separately in the table. ‘FSM eligible meals taken’ includes those infant pupils who would already have been eligible for FSM under the income-related criteria. FSM UIFSM Academic yearFSM eligibleFSM taking a meal on census dayUIFSM meals taken2014/151,195,6001,000,2001,375,3002015/161,142,000926,6001,417,7002016/171,128,400899,0001,466,2002017/181,106,600872,7001,472,9002018/191,270,9001,000,9001,433,700 Free school meals provision in Wales and the associated data is the responsibility of the administration in Wales.

Pupils: Gender

lord lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address sex stereotyping in schools.

baroness berridge: From September 2020, it will be compulsory for all primary schools to teach relationships education and for all secondary schools to teach relationships and sex education. Health education will be compulsory in all state-funded schools. These subjects directly support the government’s ambitions to end discrimination against women and girls. Pupils will be taught about stereotypes, consent, mutual respect, management of conflict, sexual violence and laws relating to sex, relationships and young people in an age-appropriate way. The department’s careers strategy is clear that positive steps are being taken to tackle gender stereotypes in schools. For example, we are exploring how to close the gender divide in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) across educational and professional routes, such as through STEM apprenticeships and the new T levels. We are funding gender balance programmes in physics and computing which aim to identify practical interventions that schools can implement to improve girls’ participation in these subjects. We are also funding research that will help us to better understand what works to improve girls’ mathematics and physics A-level participation.

Primary Education: Free School Meals

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the provision of universal free school meals for children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2.

baroness berridge: ​A key success measure for Universal Infant Free School Meals is take-up of the meal, which has been consistently strong. We monitor this through the schools census. 1.4 million infants receive a free meal through this programme which is a take-up rate of 87%.

Schools: Transport

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of poor transport infrastructure on the results of secondary schools students.

baroness berridge: The department has not carried out research into the impact of transport infrastructure on the results of secondary school students. We recognise the complex relationships and connections between the strength of an area’s infrastructure and the performance of public services.This government is committed to levelling up across the country. Driving up educational standards are central to our determination to ensure that opportunities to succeed do not depend on where you live. Therefore, we are delivering a number of policies to address regional and local inequalities in education standards. These include fair funding for schools, our Opportunity Areas and Opportunity North East programmes, encouraging strong academy trusts to extend their reach and transform failing schools, reinvigorating the free schools programme to challenge low standards, spread best practice and increase choice for parents, and ambitious investment and reforms in teacher recruitment and retention.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners' Release

lord german: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prisoners were released on temporary licence from each category of prison in the most recent twelve-month period for which figures are available.

lord keen of elie: All offenders must meet strict criteria and pass a thorough risk assessment before being considered for release on temporary licence (ROTL). ROTL is proven to reduce reoffending, helping offenders build and maintain family ties as well as find work.The table below shows the number of prisoners released on temporary licence in England and Wales between 1 October 2018 and 30 September 2019 by category/type of prison from which they were released for the first time during that period.Table 1: Individuals released on temporary licence by predominant prison function, October 2018 - September 2019Predominant Prison FunctionNumberOpen7,106Female650Local396Category C306Young Offender Institution89Category B*Category A*Total8,548   Data sources and quality The figures in these tables have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.  Disclosure control An asterisk (*) has been used to suppress values of two or less. This is to prevent the disclosure of individual information. Further disclosure control may be completed where this alone is not sufficient.  Notes The above data shows unique individuals and their first release on temporary licence, based on date. There may be cases where an individual moves between establishments and is released on temporary licence from more than one establishment type. In these instances, only the establishment type of their first ROTL in the time period is recorded.Source: PQ HL 2263 (Ministry of Justice; DASD-JSAS)

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Genocide

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the appropriate remembrance of genocide.

the earl of courtown: Since 2001, the Government has supported and promoted Holocaust Memorial Day which commemorates the six million Jewish men, women and children murdered during the Holocaust as well as all victims of Nazi persecution, and victims of the genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.   The Government continues to support the Remembering Srebrenica charity in all that it does to commemorate the victims of the Srebrenica genocide, particularly as this year marks the 25th anniversary of the tragedy. Our plans for a new Memorial next to Parliament will provide a powerful focal point for national Holocaust remembrance and education, and the learning centre will educate visitors about the Holocaust and subsequent genocides.

Devolution: West Yorkshire

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist on 25 February (HL1468), when they intend to publish their proposals for a devolution deal for West Yorkshire.

the earl of courtown: The Government announced at the Budget on 11 March that agreement had been reached on an ambitious devolution deal with West Yorkshire. On 12 March the agreement was formally signed in Leeds by the Chancellor and the Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government on behalf of the Government, and by the Leaders of the West Yorkshire Councils.   This devolution deal will provide over £1.1 billion of investment funding for the area together with other funding streams including £25 million Heritage funding. Implementation of the deal is subject to the statutory requirements for the necessary secondary legislation being met, including the consent of the West Yorkshire Councils to, and Parliamentary approval of, that legislation.

Religious Hatred: Islam

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in respect of their commitment to publish a definition of Islamophobia.

the earl of courtown: This Government remains committed to stamping out anti-Muslim hatred and all forms of hate crime. It is unacceptable for anyone to feel unsafe while practicing their religion and we continue to take a zero-tolerance approach to Islamophobia.The definition proposed by the APPG is not in line with the Equality Act 2010 and could have consequences for freedom of speech. We recognise the importance of this matter and will interrogate the issue in further detail.

Empty Property

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage housing authorities to (1) bring vacant houses into use, and (2) rehabilitate structurally sound buildings for social renting.

the earl of courtown: Local authorities are equipped with a range of powers and strong incentives to tackle empty homes. Through the New Homes Bonus, they earn the same financial reward for bringing an empty home back into use as for building a new one. This includes social housing and there is an additional premium for every affordable home delivered. Billing authorities have the discretion to charge up to 100 per cent extra council tax – on top of the standard bill – on properties that have been empty for at least two years.In certain circumstances, local authorities can apply for an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO) to temporarily take over the management of a property that has been empty for more than two years and bring it back into use. Local authorities have a variety of compulsory purchase powers which they can use to acquire and develop derelict or empty property, including for housing purposes. However, compulsory purchase is intended for use as a last resort and there must always be a compelling case in the public interest.The Estate Regeneration National Strategy good practice guide (published December 2016) supports social housing landlords. It sets out the importance of assessing the estate, including over and under occupancy and opportunities for further development. We have also given local housing authorities the tools to deliver a new generation of council housing by removing the Housing Revenue Account borrowing cap.

Social Services: Finance

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any shortfall in the collection of the adult social care precept in two-tier areas, for which county councils can calculate the extra two per cent on their proportion of the overall council tax, compared with unitary authorities, which can calculate the extra two per cent on their total tax level; and what is their assessment of the amount of any such shortfall in two-tier areas per person and per authority compared with unitary authorities.

the earl of courtown: The Government recognises the pressures on councils in providing social care. The Secretary of State recently confirmed that the adult social care precept would continue in 2020-21, giving councils access to an additional £500 million. The recent local government finance settlement also provided local government with an additional £1 billion of grant funding for both adult and children’s social care.

Floods: Shropshire

the earl of shrewsbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support those persons and businesses affected by flooding of the River Severn in the Shrewsbury and Ironbridge areas of Shropshire.

the earl of courtown: Government responded immediately to the Storms Ciara and Dennis by activating the Bellwin Scheme of emergency financial assistance on 10 February and extended this to more areas (including Shropshire) on 17 February.Further to this, the Government activated the Flood Recovery Framework on 18 February for local authorities with 25 or more flooded households. The Framework provides funding for local authorities, to help affected residents and businesses to recover from the flooding, as well as reimbursements to local authorities for offering 100 per cent council tax discounts and business rates relief to these affected properties.The Government has also announced the Property Flood Resilience Scheme to help householders and businesses implement measures to make their properties become more resilient to flooding.Government continues to work with local authorities to assess the full extent of the flooding impacts and will release the funding to eligible local authorities in due course.

Housing

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will commence to review the 'standard method' of calculating housing need, following the February 2019 commitment by the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government to do so within 18 months.

the earl of courtown: In February 2019, the Government response to the technical consultation on updates to national planning policy and guidance, committed to review the standard method for assessing local housing need within 18 months. This is to establish a new approach that balances the need for clarity, simplicity and transparency for local communities with the Government’s aspirations for the housing market. Further details will follow in due course.As the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government announced on 12 March we will review the standard method for assessing local housing need and remain committed to ensuring it is consistent with our manifesto commitment of delivering 300,000 homes a year by the mid 2020's. Further details will follow in due course.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Noise: Pollution

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the case for gathering information on noise complaints in England, and (2) the health impacts of noise in England.

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number noise complaints received by local authorities in England in each year since 2015.

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures are in place to (1) monitor, and (2) track, changes in (a) the amount of, and (b) the types of, noise complaints received by local authorities in England since 2015.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health surveys local authorities to monitor and track changes in the amount of noise complaints received under statutory nuisance legislation. Their most recent survey report is available at https://www.cieh.org/policy/campaigns/noise-survey/, and includes some data on types of noise complaints. Given the existence of these surveys, the Government has not made a recent assessment of the case for gathering data on noise complaints. The data from these surveys feeds into Public Health England’s Public Health Outcomes Framework, published on GOV.UK, which includes three indicators related to the health impacts of noise in England. These are: the rate of complaints about noise; the percentage of the population exposed to high levels of road, rail and air transport noise during the daytime; and the percentage of the population exposed to high levels of road, rail and air transport noise during the night-time. More information and data, including trends, is available at https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/public-health-outcomes-framework. The Government estimates that the annual social cost of urban road noise in England is in the region of £7 to 10 billion. In 2019 we convened the Interdepartmental Group on Costs and Benefits (Noise Subject Group) to assess the latest evidence for valuing noise impacts in England, including impacts on health. This expert Group has commissioned evidence reviews relating to potential health outcomes from exposure to noise from a range of sources, and the outputs of these reviews will be taken into account in considering whether any updates to relevant Government guidance are required.Reports published to date can be found at the following sites: http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=20395&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=cardiovascular&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description; and http://sciencesearch.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=20398&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=specific%20health&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description.

Floods

lord selkirk of douglas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to discuss with the International Rescue Corps what support that organisation could offer during future floods.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: Defra holds the Flood Rescue National Asset Register. This is a list of teams or assets that voluntarily join the register and maintain availability for national deployment during response to flooding. These assets include teams from the Fire and Rescue Service as well as the voluntary sector. Prior to joining the register, the capability of each team will have been assessed. Details of how a team can join the National Register are laid out in the 2019 Flood Rescue Concept of Operations (FRCO) and my officials are available to discuss the joining requirements with the International Rescue Corps.

Home Office

Right of Abode: British National (Overseas)

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the letter from Lord Goldsmith to the Home Secretary on 14 February which stated that the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration does not prevent the extension of full right of abode in the UK to those in Hong Kong who own a British National (Overseas) passport; and what response they intend to make to the reported request in that letter that "false statements" about the nature of his advice in relation to the rights of British National (Overseas) passports should be "retracted and not repeated".

baroness williams of trafford: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 16 March 2020.The correct answer should have been:

We have received Lord Goldsmith’s letter and we are considering our response. The UK takes seriously its support for BN(O)s and the rights that status confers upon them. We continue to believe that the best outcome for BN(O)s is for the high degree of autonomy and rights and freedoms set out in the Joint Declaration and provided for in the Basic Law to be upheld.We have received Lord Goldsmith’s letter and we are considering our response. The UK takes seriously its support for BN(O)s and the rights that status confers upon them. We continue to believe that the best outcome for BN(O)s is for the high degree of autonomy and rights and freedoms set out in the Joint Declaration and provided for in the Basic Law to be upheld.

baroness williams of trafford: We have received Lord Goldsmith’s letter and we are considering our response. The UK takes seriously its support for BN(O)s and the rights that status confers upon them. We continue to believe that the best outcome for BN(O)s is for the high degree of autonomy and rights and freedoms set out in the Joint Declaration and provided for in the Basic Law to be upheld.We have received Lord Goldsmith’s letter and we are considering our response. The UK takes seriously its support for BN(O)s and the rights that status confers upon them. We continue to believe that the best outcome for BN(O)s is for the high degree of autonomy and rights and freedoms set out in the Joint Declaration and provided for in the Basic Law to be upheld.

Right of Abode: Hong Kong

lord craig of radley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 17 February (HL1247), when they expect to complete their consideration of the right to abode requested by former Hong Kong Military Service Corps personnel which has been under assessment since January 2016.

baroness williams of trafford: Further to my response of 17 February, we continue to actively consider representations made on behalf of those former Hong Kong Military Service Corps who were unable to obtain citizenship through the selection scheme.

Female Genital Mutilation Protection Orders

baroness jenkin of kennington: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many female genital mutilation protection orders were issued in(1) 2015, (2) 2016, (3) 2017, (4) 2018, and (5) 2019.

baroness williams of trafford: FGM is a crime and it is child abuse. The Government will not tolerate a practice that can cause extreme and lifelong physical and psychological suffering to women and girls. We significantly strengthened the law in 2015 in order to improve protection for victims and those at risk, and to break down the barriers to prosecution.The first UK conviction for FGM took place on 1 February 2019 and the perpetrator was sentenced to 11 years in prison. The Home Office does not collate information on prosecutions centrally. Information on FGM prosecutions can be found in the Violence Against Women and Girls Reports, which are published annually by the Crown Prosecution Service.We have not previously collected data on the number of FGM cases received under the mandatory reporting duty. However, to improve understanding of the prevalence of so called ‘honour-based’ abuse, including FGM, the Government amended the police Annual Data Requirement (ADR) to require police forces, from April 2019, to record where a crime has been committed in the context of preserving the ‘honour’ of a family or community. This new collection is also capturing police recorded offences of FGM which were initially reported to the police under the mandatory reporting duty. Subject to data quality checks, we expect the first dataset under this new mandatory ADR collection to be published by autumn 2020.The Government will continue to keep the changes made in the Serious Crime Act 2015 under review in order to ensure that they are working effectively.The Ministry of Justice publishes quarterly statistics on the number of FGM Protection Orders (FGMPOs) issued by the family courts in England and Wales, which can be found via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/family-court-statistics-quarterly.The figures from 2015-2019 are set out in the table below. To note that FGMPOs were introduced in July 2015 and the figures for 2019 cover the period up to 30 September 2019. Figures for the final three months of 2019 will be published in due course.201532201664201710920181432019141Total489

Female Genital Mutilation: Children

baroness jenkin of kennington: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many reports of cases offemale genital mutilation, or suspectedfemale genital mutilation, they have received under the mandatory reporting for under-18s duty in the Serious Crime Act 2015 since that Act received Royal Assent.

baroness jenkin of kennington: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of theimpactof the mandatory reporting of female genital mutilationfor under 18s duty.

baroness jenkin of kennington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the outcome of criminalisingfemale genital mutilation.

baroness jenkin of kennington: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there has been any increase in those who commit female genital mutilation being (1) prosecuted, and (2) found guilty, in the UK since the Serious Crime Act 2015 received Royal Assent.

baroness williams of trafford: FGM is a crime and it is child abuse. The Government will not tolerate a practice that can cause extreme and lifelong physical and psychological suffering to women and girls. We significantly strengthened the law in 2015 in order to improve protection for victims and those at risk, and to break down the barriers to prosecution.The first UK conviction for FGM took place on 1 February 2019 and the perpetrator was sentenced to 11 years in prison. The Home Office does not collate information on prosecutions centrally. Information on FGM prosecutions can be found in the Violence Against Women and Girls Reports, which are published annually by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Police: Biometrics

lord strasburger: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 17 February (HL1336), why their response is inconsistent with the press release from the Metropolitan Police following the facial recognition deployments which (1) stated that the individual arrested on suspicion of discharging a firearm was arrested "as part of the wider operation" and not "as a direct result of the facial recognition technology", (2) did not state that any individual was arrested for two counts of rape, and (3) did not state that anyone was arrested on suspicion of domestic assault.

lord strasburger: To ask Her Majesty's Government, what assessment they have made of thefinding by the Scottish Parliament that there was "no justification" for Police Scotland to usefacial recognition technology; and why police in London and South Wales continue to use live facial recognition surveillance.

baroness williams of trafford: The Written Answer (HL1336) is not inconsistent with the press release from the Metropolitan Police. It referred to the results from the trials, which finished last year, and not the recent deployments of live facial recognition technology.Those are matters for the Scottish Parliament, the Metropolitan Police Service and South Wales Police, which are all independent of the Government. The Government supports the police using new technologies like facial recognition to protect the public in accordance with the law.

Cabinet Office

Ministerial Policy Advisers: Recruitment

lord cooper of windrush: To ask Her Majesty's Government which external organisations have been involved in the recruitment of candidates to be special advisers to ministers since 24 July 2019.

lord cooper of windrush: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they have paid to each external organisation that has been involved in the recruitment of special advisers to ministers since 24 July 2019.

lord true: Special Advisers are appointed to assist a Minister of the Crown after being selected by that Minister personally. All appointments must be approved by the Prime Minister. This is set out in Section 15 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.Separately, and in advance of Ministerial approval in accordance with the statutory requirement, it is open to political parties to undertake activity to identify individuals that Ministers may wish to consider for selection. This is not part of the appointment by Government but rather for the political party concerned.Previously, the existence of such opportunities has generally not been made public. Openly encouraging people to express their interest, with greater information about what the opportunities may entail, will help broaden the field of potential candidates.

Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to review the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019.

lord true: The Government currently has no plans to review the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019, which will commence on 8 April 2020.

Treasury

Employment: Offenders

baroness wheatcroft: To ask Her Majesty's Government what decision they have reached following their consultation on the proposal that employers hiring an ex-offender should receive a National Insurance holiday for that individual.

lord agnew of oulton: The Government keeps all taxes under review and will continue to consider this proposal in light of its wider strategy on supporting ex-offenders. The Government has already taken a number of steps to support ex-offenders in gaining employment, including establishing the New Futures Network, a specialist part of the prison service that brokers partnerships between prisons and employers; and committing to deliver a Prison Education Service, with a key priority being to enable more prisoners to find employment on release.

Financial Services

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) any risk to the stability of the financial system from the potential failure of large portfolio risk management systems, and (2) the level of competition between providers of such systems to banks, insurers and fund managers.

lord agnew of oulton: HM Treasury works closely with the Bank of England, the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) (collectively the ‘Financial Authorities’) to ensure that the financial system is robust to a wide range of operational risks. Responsibility for the UK finance sector’s networks and systems is primarily for the firms themselves, and we expect firms to assess and manage the risks arising from the use of systems provided by a third party. We continue to work closely with the other Financial Authorities and industry to assess third-party risks in the sector. In December 2019, the Bank of England published a Consultation Paper which outlined updated policy proposals regarding outsourcing and third-party risk management.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

4G

lord mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of England is covered by 4G.

lord mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the percentage of 4G coverage in the UK in comparison to such coverage in France.

lord mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of London has reliable 4G coverage; and how that percentage compares to the reliability of such coverage in Paris.

lord mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve 4G reception in the West End of London.

lord mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to invest in (1) 4G, and (2) 5G, infrastructure over the next four years; what reception improvements are expected as a result of such investment; and when they estimate reception will improve.

lord mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reliability of 4G in the UK compared to EU countries.

lord mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what comparison they have made of 4G signal strength and reliability between rural areas in (1) England, and (2) France.

baroness barran: The Government announced on 9 March that it had agreed a deal with the mobile network operators to deliver the Shared Rural Network programme. This will see Government and industry jointly invest to increase 4G mobile coverage throughout the UK to 95% geographic coverage by end-2025. Coverage is based on Ofcom’s definition of good quality 4G coverage, which is the minimum signal strength required to deliver a 90-second telephone call and a download speed of at least 2Mbit/s, 95% of the time.The Shared Rural Network is underpinned by legally binding coverage commitments from each operator to have reached at least 90%, which will be assessed in 2026. Ofcom will regularly report on coverage improvements towards this goal through its Connected Nations report.Exact site deployment plans will be managed by the operators themselves in order for them to best deliver the agreed coverage outcomes. However, we expect that consumers will feel the benefit of the programme long before its conclusion and the operators will consult with communities as roll out plans become clearer.While the biggest improvements in coverage arising from the Shared Rural Network will be in Scotland and Wales, there will be improvements across all four nations. 4G geographic coverage in England is currently 97% from at least one operator and 81% from all four operators. As a result of the programme, this will increase to 98% coverage from at least one operator, and 90% from all four by end-2025.The Shared Rural Network will help close the digital divide between urban and rural areas by improving mobile coverage in largely rural areas across the whole of the UK. The programme is not directly aimed at improving coverage in dense inner-city areas such as the West End of London which, typically, have good 4G coverage from all four operators, and it will remain a commercial decision for operators to decide whether to improve coverage in such areas.We are aware of the European Commission’s Digital Economy and Society Index report 2019, which compares 4G coverage of homes across Member States. The report, available via the following link, https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/desi suggests that in 2018, based on an average of operator coverage, there was 98% 4G coverage of UK homes. This compared to 95% for France, and an EU average of 94%. The Shared Rural Network will help to improve our European standing by providing additional coverage to 280,000 premises.While the vast majority of commercial rollout of 5G services will be delivered by industry and according to their own timeframes, government is committed to being a world leader in 5G technology and providing a 5G signal to a majority of the population by 2027. The Government is investing in a nationally coordinated programme of 5G testbed facilities and application trials to help achieve this, and has allocated £200 million from the National Productivity Investment Fund to the 5G Programme, which launched in 2017 and will run until March 2022.